editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Scott Neuman works as a Digital News writer and editor, handling breaking news and feature stories for NPR.org. Occasionally he can be heard on-air reporting on stories for Newscasts and has done several radio features since he joined NPR in April 2007, as an editor on the Continuous News Desk. Neuman brings to NPR years of experience as an editor and reporter at a variety of news organizations and based all over the world. For three years in Bangkok, Thailand, he served as an Associated Press Asia-Pacific desk editor. From 2000-2004, Neuman worked as a Hong Kong-based Asia editor and correspondent for The Wall Street Journal . He spent the previous two years as the international desk editor at the AP, while living in New York. As the United Press International's New Delhi-based correspondent and bureau chief, Neuman covered South Asia from 1995-1997. He worked for two years before that as a freelance radio reporter in India, filing stories for NPR, PRI and the Canadian BroadcastingNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Scott NeumanFri, 16 Mar 2018 03:03:13 +0000Scott Neumanhttp://wrkf.org
Scott NeumanThe prime minister of Slovakia said Wednesday that he is ready to bow to demands for his resignation as the country's ruling coalition sought to calm anger sparked by the murder of an investigative journalist and his fiancée. Premier Robert Fico told reporters in the capital that he was prepared to leave office if his left-wing Smer-Social Democracy party is allowed to choose his successor. "I visited the president today, together with the coalition partners, and I proposed that in order to solve the political crisis I am ready to resign as prime minister," Fico said in a televised news conference. As Reuters notes, "President Andrej Kiska has called for a government revamp or early elections to rebuild what he says is a crisis of trust." The offer to resign follows Slovakia's largest protests since the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Demonstrators are calling for a thorough investigation of the shooting deaths of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova. At the time of his death last month, KuciakSlovakia's Prime Minister Offers To Resign Amid Protest Over Journalist's Murderhttp://wrkf.org/post/slovakias-prime-minister-offers-resign-amid-protest-over-journalists-murder
80321 as http://wrkf.orgThu, 15 Mar 2018 07:43:00 +0000Slovakia's Prime Minister Offers To Resign Amid Protest Over Journalist's MurderScott NeumanThe younger sister of convicted mass murderer Dylann Roof — who gunned down nine parishioners at a Charleston, S.C., church in 2015 — was arrested Wednesday on drug and weapons charges after she posted a disturbing message on social media. Morgan Roof, 18, a student at AC Flora High School in Columbia, was charged with one count of marijuana possession and two counts of carrying a weapon on school grounds, the Richland County Sheriff's Department said, describing the weapons as a knife and pepper spray, according to The State newspaper. WACH-TV in Columbia reports: "No students were harmed and [Morgan Roof] has been transported to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. She [appeared] in bond court Wednesday night, where her bond was set at $5,000, and was charged with carrying weapons on school property. She was also ordered not to [return] to the incident location." Roof's arrest came after she reportedly posted a message to Snapchat saying that she hoped students participating inSister Of Charleston Shooter Dylann Roof Arrested After Menacing Social Media Posthttp://wrkf.org/post/sister-charleston-shooter-dylann-roof-arrested-after-menacing-social-media-post
80320 as http://wrkf.orgThu, 15 Mar 2018 06:50:00 +0000Sister Of Charleston Shooter Dylann Roof Arrested After Menacing Social Media PostScott NeumanThe pilot on a US-Bangla Airlines flight that crashed at Nepal's main airport, killing 49 of the 71 people aboard, was apparently confused about which direction the plane should use to approach the runway. The airline's CEO Imran Asif accused Kathmandu's air traffic controllers of giving the pilot the wrong instructions, according to Reuters. However, according to India's First Post news site, airport general manager Raj Kumar Chettri, said the plane was seen making two rounds in a northeast direction: "Traffic controllers asked the pilot if things were OK, and he replied, 'Yes.' The tower then told the pilot his alignment was not correct, but there was no reply, Chettri added." "'The plane should have come from the right direction,' Chettri said, adding that it hit the airport fence, touched the ground and then caught fire. It was not immediately clear if the pilot had issued a 'Mayday' call, or distress signal." In a recording by air traffic monitoring website liveatc.net, the pilotPilot Of Plane That Crashed In Nepal Reportedly Was Confused About Runway Approachhttp://wrkf.org/post/pilot-plane-crashed-nepal-reportedly-was-confused-about-runway-approach
80199 as http://wrkf.orgTue, 13 Mar 2018 07:19:00 +0000Pilot Of Plane That Crashed In Nepal Reportedly Was Confused About Runway ApproachScott NeumanA new report raises concerns that when fishing vessels "go dark" by switching off electronic tracking devices, in many cases they are doing so to mask the taking of illegal catches in protected marine parks and restricted national waters. In the report released Monday by Oceana , an international conservation group, authors Lacey Malarky and Beth Lowell document incidents of fishing vessels that disappear from computer screens as they shut off collision-avoidance beacons near restricted areas, only to have them reappear days or weeks later back in legal fishing grounds. "This practice of vessels going dark is really widespread on a global scale," Malarky tells NPR. Malarky and Lowell used Global Fishing Watch, which aggregates automatic identification system , or AIS, signals to give an unprecedented view of global fishing activity. AIS signals can be viewed by the public through such websites as Vesselfinder.com. Yet another system, known as Vessel Management System , or VMS, is notFishing Boats 'Going Dark' Raise Suspicion Of Illegal Catches, Report Sayshttp://wrkf.org/post/fishing-boats-going-dark-raise-suspicion-illegal-catches-report-says
80155 as http://wrkf.orgMon, 12 Mar 2018 10:08:00 +0000Fishing Boats 'Going Dark' Raise Suspicion Of Illegal Catches, Report SaysScott NeumanUpdated at 11:15 a.m. ET Newly enacted U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel imports have sparked a sharp reaction from around the globe, with several nations warning of an all-out trade war. President Trump on Thursday made good on a promise to impose a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. The levies are to go into effect in 15 days. The administration clarified this week that Canada, the largest single source of imported steel (about 16 percent), would be exempt, as would Mexico (about 9 percent). Along with the U.S., the two nations make up the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is largely aimed at stemming such punitive tariffs. The move, which fulfills a Trump campaign promise, has been widely criticized by economists who say it is certain to increase costs to U.S. consumers on items such as automobiles, household appliances and even energy, because of higher costs for pipeline construction. It could also significantly increase theU.S. Signs Off On Tariffs, Angering Trade Partnershttp://wrkf.org/post/us-signs-tariffs-angering-trade-partners
80074 as http://wrkf.orgFri, 09 Mar 2018 15:31:00 +0000U.S. Signs Off On Tariffs, Angering Trade PartnersScott NeumanUpdated at 10:40 a.m. ET The U.S. added a hefty 313,000 jobs in February — the biggest increase in 1 1/2 years — while wages rose more modestly than the previous month. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The Labor Department also reported strong upward revisions for both December and January. January's figure was revised to 239,000 from 200,000 previously and December was pegged at 175,000, up from 160,000. The latest report marks the 89th consecutive month of job growth, a trend that began in late 2010, as the economy began to pick up steam in the wake of the worst downturn since the Great Depression. NPR's Chris Arnold says "this report shows that the economy is still chugging away with employers confident enough to hire a lot more workers." Year over year, wages increased 2.6 percent last month, a slowdown from January's 2.9 percent pace, which triggered a sell-off on Wall Street. On average, wages increasedModest Wage Gains In February As Economy Adds Robust 313,000 Jobshttp://wrkf.org/post/modest-wage-gains-february-economy-adds-robust-313000-jobs
80072 as http://wrkf.orgFri, 09 Mar 2018 14:23:00 +0000Modest Wage Gains In February As Economy Adds Robust 313,000 JobsScott NeumanCoca-Cola will introduce the first alcoholic drink in the company's 125-year history, tapping into a growing trend in Japan for mildly intoxicating drink mixes. But if you were thinking rum and Coke, you would be wrong. Instead, the new brand will compete in a category known as Chu-Hi, a canned drink, the main ingredient of which is a vodka-like distillation of rice, barley and potatoes known as shōchū. Chu-Hi also typically includes sparkling water and flavoring. "We haven't experimented in the low alcohol category before, but it's an example of how we continue to explore opportunities outside our core areas," Jorge Garduño, president of Coca-Cola's Japan business unit, said recently on its website. Garduño said the move into alcoholic drinks "is unique in our history," adding that entering the Chu-Hi market "is a modest experiment for a specific slice of our market." "It makes sense to give this a try in our market," he said. "But I don't think people around the world should expectCoca-Cola Will Launch Its First Alcoholic Drink To Compete In Japanhttp://wrkf.org/post/coca-cola-will-launch-its-first-ever-alcoholic-drink-compete-japan
79965 as http://wrkf.orgWed, 07 Mar 2018 15:35:00 +0000Coca-Cola Will Launch Its First Alcoholic Drink To Compete In JapanScott NeumanUpdated at 2:50 p.m. ET North Korea says it is willing to discuss denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula with the United States, a key requirement laid out by the Trump administration as a precondition for talks with Pyongyang. South Korean officials who returned from a two-day visit to the North Korean capital reportedly brought back the communication. The North also said it was willing to send a delegation for dialogue with the South next month at the border village of Panmunjom. "North Korea has clearly expressed its intention for denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, and if there is no military threat and North Korea's regime security is promised, they have clarified that there is no reason to hold nuclear weapons," South Korean President Moon Jae-in's office said. Taken at face value, the sudden shift would mark a major diplomatic breakthrough following last year's heated rhetoric, with Pyongyang threatening the U.S. with ballistic missiles and President Trump promising to rain In Possible Breakthrough, North Korea Open To Talks With U.S. On Denuclearizationhttp://wrkf.org/post/possible-breakthrough-north-korea-offers-talks-denuclearization
79914 as http://wrkf.orgTue, 06 Mar 2018 15:11:00 +0000In Possible Breakthrough, North Korea Open To Talks With U.S. On DenuclearizationScott NeumanChina on Monday announced the largest increase in three years to its defense budget, saying it would spend 8.1 percent more than the previous year as the country continues a push to modernize its military and expand its air and naval capabilities. However, the official Xinhua news agency reports that the latest budget — made available ahead of the country's 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing — marks the "third time for the growth rate to dip into the single digit since 2011, following 7.6 percent in 2016 and 7 percent in 2017." Only the U.S. outpaces China in military spending, with Washington's defense outlays running about four times Beijing's, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The new military budget comes as the NPC is expected to abolish term limits for China's President Xi Jinping, a move that hearkens back to the era of autocratic rule under Mao Zedong and was signaled in October when Xi broke with precedent andChina Announces Largest Military Spending Increase In 3 Yearshttp://wrkf.org/post/china-announces-largest-military-spending-increase-three-years
79869 as http://wrkf.orgMon, 05 Mar 2018 15:29:00 +0000China Announces Largest Military Spending Increase In 3 YearsScott NeumanPresident Trump's promise to impose hefty tariffs on U.S. imports of steel and aluminum sent markets around the globe into a tailspin and prompted anger and threats of retaliation from major U.S. trading partners, raising the specter of a full-fledged trade war. As NPR's John Ydstie reports, during a Thursday meeting, the president promised steel and aluminum executives that he would protect them against foreign competition by levying tariffs on both metals in the coming weeks – 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. "The tariffs are a response to the overproduction of steel and aluminum by China. But since there are already import restrictions on those Chinese products, new barriers are likely to have an impact on European allies, as well as Canada and Mexico, which could trigger retaliation. As NPR's Scott Horsley reported , the Commerce Department argues that growing imports of steel and aluminum, driven in part by overproduction in China, have so weakened America'sU.S. Plan For Steel And Aluminum Tariffs Prompts Global Backlashhttp://wrkf.org/post/us-plan-steel-and-aluminum-tariffs-prompts-global-backlash
79791 as http://wrkf.orgFri, 02 Mar 2018 13:54:00 +0000U.S. Plan For Steel And Aluminum Tariffs Prompts Global BacklashScott NeumanUpdated at 9:20 p.m. ET A powerful storm system is predicted to pull away from the East Coast by Friday night, but not before wind, rain, snow and flooding batter the upper Mid-Atlantic through New England. At least five people have died. Among the victims were two children: a 6-year-old boy in Virginia and an 11-year-old boy in New York state, both killed in their homes by fallen trees. Across the country in Southern California, the region appeared to have dodged significant mudslides in wildfire-stricken areas, after a storm passed through the area without major incident. It is, however, expected to drop several feet of snow on the Sierra Nevadas. In Boston, the National Weather Service warned of a "very dangerous situation" along the eastern Massachusetts coastline, including Boston, with "wind, wave, surf action on top of tides, 4 foot storm surge." The warning remains in effect until early Sunday. Along Boston's waterfront, roads and sidewalks were flooded Friday, closing severalAt Least 5 Killed As Both Coasts Weather Major Winter Stormshttp://wrkf.org/post/east-and-west-both-coasts-brace-major-winter-storms
79789 as http://wrkf.orgFri, 02 Mar 2018 12:00:00 +0000At Least 5 Killed As Both Coasts Weather Major Winter StormsScott NeumanRepublican lawmakers in Georgia made good on a threat to eliminate a proposed tax break for Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, after the carrier declined to reverse a decision to cut ties with the National Rifle Association. Earlier this week, Delta — the state's largest private employer, with 33,000 workers statewide — was among numerous companies to announce that it would end discounts for NRA members in the wake of the mass shooting that killed 17 people at a Parkland, Fla., high school. Immediately afterward, Georgia's Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, a Republican and staunch NRA ally, said he would "kill" legislation to give the airline a sales tax exemption on jet fuel. The proposal, estimated to be worth at least $38 million to Delta and other airlines, had until then been largely uncontroversial. Ignoring warnings that taking on Delta could harm the state's pro-business image , the GOP-controlled House, which had earlier approved a larger tax bill containing the exemption, voted 135-24 onGeorgia Lawmakers Punish Delta Air Lines Over NRA Feudhttp://wrkf.org/post/georgia-lawmakers-punish-delta-air-lines-over-nra-feud
79773 as http://wrkf.orgFri, 02 Mar 2018 07:36:00 +0000Georgia Lawmakers Punish Delta Air Lines Over NRA FeudScott NeumanHundreds of faithful at a Pennsylvania church on Wednesday carried AR-15-style rifles in adherence to their belief that a "rod of iron" mentioned in the Bible refers to the type of weapon that was used in last month's mass shooting in Parkland, Fla. The armed ceremony at World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland, about 20 miles southeast of Scranton, featured gun-toting worshippers, some wearing crowns of bullets as they participated in communion and wedding ceremonies. Attendants carefully placed a zip tie into the receiver magazine well of each weapon to assure that a clip could not be loaded. Concern over Wednesday's gathering prompted a nearby elementary school to cancel classes for the day. It also sparked a small demonstration outside the church, with one protester telling The Associated Press that "it's scaring people in the community." According to The Philadelphia Inquirer , "The ceremony's official name was the Cosmic True Parents of Heaven, Earth and HumanityAR-15s Are Biblical 'Rod Of Iron' At Pennsylvania Churchhttp://wrkf.org/post/ar-15s-are-biblical-rod-iron-pennsylvania-church
79740 as http://wrkf.orgThu, 01 Mar 2018 14:31:00 +0000AR-15s Are Biblical 'Rod Of Iron' At Pennsylvania ChurchScott NeumanGermany says it managed to fend off a cyberattack against key ministries, but declined to confirm media reports that the culprit was the Russian intelligence operation blamed for interference in U.S. elections. "We can confirm that the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and intelligence services are investigating a cybersecurity incident concerning the federal government's information technology and networks," an Interior Ministry spokesman said Wednesday. "The attack was isolated and brought under control within the federal administration," which manages government computer networks, the spokesman said in a statement, Reuters reports. According to Reuters: "Western governments and security experts have linked the hacker group known as APT28 or Fancy Bear to a Russian spy agency, and have blamed it for an attack on the Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2016 U.S. elections. Germany's Deutsche Presse-Agentur news agency cites anonymous security officials as sayingRussia's 'Fancy Bear' Reportedly Hacks German Government Network http://wrkf.org/post/russias-fancy-bear-reportedly-hacks-german-government-networks
79717 as http://wrkf.orgThu, 01 Mar 2018 07:25:00 +0000Russia's 'Fancy Bear' Reportedly Hacks German Government Network Scott NeumanNorth Korea has reportedly sent ballistic missile and chemical weapons components to Syria in violation of United Nations sanctions, according to a draft of a new report authored by U.N. experts that has been viewed by several news organizations. According to the 200-page report, expected to go public in mid-March, U.N. investigators say the items include acid-resistant tiles, valves and thermometers, according to The New York Times . The transfers reportedly date back as far as 2008. The Times reports, "North Korean missile technicians have also been spotted working at known chemical weapons and missile facilities inside Syria, according to the report, which was written by a panel of experts who looked at North Korea's compliance with United Nations sanctions." The Associated Press says the "investigations into Pyongyang's transfer of prohibited ballistic missile, conventional arms and dual use goods found more than 40 previously unreported shipments to Syria between 2012 and 2017." North Korea Reportedly Sending Missile, Chemical Weapons Parts To Syria http://wrkf.org/post/north-korea-reportedly-sending-missile-chemical-weapons-parts-syria
79691 as http://wrkf.orgWed, 28 Feb 2018 10:30:00 +0000North Korea Reportedly Sending Missile, Chemical Weapons Parts To Syria Scott NeumanFirst, he forgot about owning millions of dollars' worth of bitcoin. Then he bragged about it. Now, 50 Cent, who is filing for bankruptcy, says he never owned any of the digital currency after all. As NPR's Bill Chappell reported last month , the rapper, whose given name is Curtis Jackson, acknowledged in a 2014 Reddit discussion that he had accepted bitcoin in partial payment for his Animal Ambition album. A TMZ report subsequently reported an estimate of the amount he received was about 700 bitcoins. At the time, individual units of the volatile cryptocurrency would have been worth a few hundred dollars each, but today, bitcoin is valued at around $10,000. In a (since deleted) Instagram post in January, the rapper bragged about his discovered windfall, saying he "forgot" that he had owned it. However, in a bankruptcy filing late last week , lawyers for the artist told the court that the recent media reports "falsely stated" that he owned any bitcoin at all. "[The] Debtor has neverRapper 50 Cent, Who Bragged About Owning Bitcoin, Now Denies Ithttp://wrkf.org/post/rapper-50-cent-who-bragged-about-owning-bitcoin-now-denies-it
79617 as http://wrkf.orgTue, 27 Feb 2018 10:09:00 +0000Rapper 50 Cent, Who Bragged About Owning Bitcoin, Now Denies ItScott NeumanThree executions were scheduled. Two were called off. If the death sentences in Alabama, Texas and Florida had all gone ahead on Thursday night as originally planned, it would have marked the first time in eight years that three convicted killers were executed on the same day. However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott granted clemency to Thomas Whitaker, 38, commuting his sentence to life in prison. And late Thursday, the execution in Alabama of Doyle Lee Hamm was postponed after last minute legal wrangling pushed late into the evening. Only the execution of Florida inmate Eric Scott Branch, 47, who was convicted of raping and killing a college student decades ago, was carried out. Branch thrashed on the gurney where he was strapped to receive a lethal injection, managing to scream "murderers!" three times before he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. According to The Associated Press: "Moments earlier, he had addressed the corrections officers in the room with him by saying that, instead of themTexas Commutes Death Sentence, As Execution Carried Out In Florida; Alabama Postponeshttp://wrkf.org/post/texas-commutes-death-sentence-execution-carried-out-florida-alabama-postpones
79479 as http://wrkf.orgFri, 23 Feb 2018 08:34:00 +0000Texas Commutes Death Sentence, As Execution Carried Out In Florida; Alabama PostponesScott NeumanAustralia's beleaguered deputy prime minister has announced his resignation over allegations of sexual harassment that followed on reports earlier this month of an adulterous affair with a former staff member who is now pregnant with the couple's child. At a news conference on Friday, Barnaby Joyce said he would step down Monday "as leader of the National Party and deputy leader of Australia." He said media reports that an unidentified woman had made a sexual harassment complaint against him were "the straw the breaks the camel's back," after two weeks of withering scrutiny about the affair with his former press secretary, Vikki Campion. Joyce — who has denied the allegation of harassment and has steadfastly insisted that his relationship with Campion is a private affair — called the decision to resign from the government a "circuit-breaker," telling reporters, "This current cacophony of issues has to be put aside." Questions were raised not only over the extramarital affair, but withGrowing Scandal Forces Australia's Deputy Prime Minister To Resignhttp://wrkf.org/post/growing-scandal-forces-australias-deputy-prime-minister-resign
79480 as http://wrkf.orgFri, 23 Feb 2018 07:44:00 +0000Growing Scandal Forces Australia's Deputy Prime Minister To ResignScott NeumanThe wife of Kentucky state Rep. Dan Johnson, who killed himself last year amid allegations of sexual assault, has lost a bid to succeed her late husband. The special election returned the seat to Linda Belcher, whom Dan Johnson had unseated. Belcher — the Democrat who lost to Johnson in a Trump wave that swept Republicans into office statewide in 2016 — easily won the special election for Kentucky's 49th District. She garnered 68 percent of the vote to Rebecca Johnson's roughly 32 percent, member station WFPL reports. Johnson's wife announced a day after his death that she would seek the state House seat. According to The Hill , "The Kentucky district is the 18th formerly Republican-held district to fall into Democratic hands in a special election since Trump won election, a growing trend Democrats see as proof of their party's momentum heading into the midterm elections. In 2018 alone, Democrats have won Republican-held state legislative districts in Missouri, Wisconsin and Florida."Kentucky Democrat Wins Special Election To Reclaim Seat After Lawmaker's Suicidehttp://wrkf.org/post/kentucky-democrat-wins-special-election-reclaim-seat-after-lawmakers-suicide
79383 as http://wrkf.orgWed, 21 Feb 2018 11:58:00 +0000Kentucky Democrat Wins Special Election To Reclaim Seat After Lawmaker's SuicideScott NeumanUpdated at 1:50 p.m. ET A week after a gunman killed 17 people at a Florida high school, students who survived the attack brought their #NeverAgain protest movement to Tallahassee to demand action on guns and mental health. Thousands of activists marched on the state Capitol to pressure lawmakers Wednesday, even as their peers elsewhere in the U.S. staged protests of their own in solidarity. "Dear Congress: How can you claim to stand for the people but let your kids get slaughtered like animals in their own schools?" Sheryl Acquarola, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., screamed to the gathered crowd on Wednesday. "Dear Congress," she added, "how many of the thoughts and prayers that I have received do I need to check in for some damn action? Because thoughts and prayers don't mean anything without something behind it. And to be quite frank, thoughts and prayers won't stop my brothers and sisters from dying. Action will." Between'We Will Not Give Up': Fla. School Shooting Survivors March For Tougher Gun Lawshttp://wrkf.org/post/florida-school-shooting-survivors-march-state-capitol-tougher-gun-laws
79379 as http://wrkf.orgWed, 21 Feb 2018 10:33:00 +0000'We Will Not Give Up': Fla. School Shooting Survivors March For Tougher Gun Laws